73 spotster generator problems... help!!!
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5th Gear
Joined: Jun 2009
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73 spotster generator problems... help!!!
After sitting in my garage for the last 12 years, I recently began some-what restoring my 73 sportster. It's done with the exception of a few minor details. But when I took it out on its first ride everything was running great until I was about 3 miles out of town. My buddy who was following me said all my lights went and thats when it started to die at low rpm's. So I turned all my lights off, and made it home.
Maybe I'm wrong but i'm assuming that I have some generator issues. My first thought was maybe I switched the 2 wires on the gen.(F A) But I have no idea which one is F or which one is A. Is there a way to tell because my gen. isn't marked? Also, is there a way to test the gen. without trailering the whole bike to a shop somewhere?
Maybe I'm wrong but i'm assuming that I have some generator issues. My first thought was maybe I switched the 2 wires on the gen.(F A) But I have no idea which one is F or which one is A. Is there a way to tell because my gen. isn't marked? Also, is there a way to test the gen. without trailering the whole bike to a shop somewhere?
I think you are on the wrong forum, but since you asked, get a shop manual, or google a wiring harness for your sporty. If all you did was store it for a few years, and it was OK when you stored it, you may have lost polarity in your generator. Take a piece of wire and strip the ends bare, flick it across the posts of your generator while the bike is running. Don't hold it on the posts, just rub it across them several times. You'll get small sparks, but thats ok.
Make sure you start with a fully charged battery. Check the voltage at the battery before and after. This may fix your problem, and it may not. Good luck.
Make sure you start with a fully charged battery. Check the voltage at the battery before and after. This may fix your problem, and it may not. Good luck.
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,078
Likes: 39
From: NW Florida
Double check your generator they should be marked. Could be they were painted over or full of grease. On my generator the front post is marked "A" The red wire from A to the Gen terminal on the regulator. The Green wire from F to the F terminal on the regulator. Any time you disconect the battery you have to polarize the Generator. Do this by using a short length of wire to flash the Bat and Gen Termimal on the regulator before you start it.
If the terminals are not marked A or F. You could take off the end cap and look at how the terminals connected. The F terminal will be connected to the field coils and the A terminal will have a wire to the brushes.
Yes switching the wires is bad.
If the terminals are not marked A or F. You could take off the end cap and look at how the terminals connected. The F terminal will be connected to the field coils and the A terminal will have a wire to the brushes.
Yes switching the wires is bad.
Last edited by FilthyLucre; Jun 21, 2009 at 04:32 PM.
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